“How many hopes and fears, how many ardent wishes and anxious apprehensions are twisted together in the threads that connect the parent with the child” Samuel G. Goodrich
Call to Action: Jungle Jane Meet Zack
Is your husband a Stay At Home Dad (SAHD)? If not, would you consider being the sole breadwinner in your home and have your hubby become a SAHD? I was sitting in a comfy chair at the hair salon today, a regular ritual I enjoy with my teen twins, chatting away with my friend/stylist Lorna, when a man in his mid 30s strolled in with a toddler in tow. Actually the toddler, about 20 months old, was curled up in a stroller with the big toe of his right foot stuck firmly in his mouth.
Dad, whom we shall call Zack, had arrived for his bi-weekly haircut and his stylist, Walter, welcomed both warmly, asking when Zack’s forever traveling executive wife would be returning from her latest business trip. “She’ll be back by Wednesday!” he replied. Dad and son seemed quite happy exchanging the occasional smile and gibberish banter only a parent is expected to understand. Now if, like Jane, you are looking for an Alpha male/secure Beta Male instead of the average Beta Male as per an article in Marie Claire, this arrangement might not be for you. Read on.
Zack is Not an Anomaly.
According to another recent article I read in Marie Claire, the recession has created an unlikely boon for women in the workplace. There are more of us working outside the home as the family breadwinner while our hubbies are home with the kids. The article doesn’t mention that while more of us are working, we are still earning less than men in the workplace; about 77 cents to the dollar… The stats below are quite revealing and while it shows women increasingly running households with dependent husbands, it is hardly indicative of a national trend in the USA
“Three men lost their jobs for every one woman that did, and as a result,
this year, for the first time ever, women make up the majority of the
workforce. Four in 10 mothers are now their households' primary
breadwinners, and an estimated 143,000 unemployed fathers of children
under 15 are caring for the kids full time while their wives work.”
The article points out that SAHD (Stay At Home Dads), not to be confused with single dads or work from home hubbies, have their own website - At Home Dad - to help dedicated house husbands through their trials, tribulations and triumphs. A quick peek at the site showed that the topics/sections of conversation were similar to what women discuss in their parenting groups; on parenting, relationships, culture & entertainment, humor, hobbies, sports and more… Even macho dads need a place to vent, share tidbits and learn about new foods and better pricing. Kudos are in order.
